Welcome to the Aleph Sector Campaign blog, Sheffield University Wargames Society's narrative based campaign set in Games Workshop's Warhammer 40,000 universe.
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Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Battle for Farport - buildup

Following their success in the Rim Worlds and their recent gains in the Perseus Deeps, it became obvious during 009M42 that the civilised world of Farport would naturally become a tempting Chaos target. Capture of this world would isolate the Perseus Deeps, cut off both the Vastrid and Zadoc subsectors from the fastest route to Terra and put the worlds of the Vastrid subsector at risk from a two pronged attack from the Deeps and Kendrenec. It would also put a limit on further Tau expansion.

The Imperium knew all this, as did the forces of Chaos, but until late 11.009M42 the myriad factions of Chaos had not been sufficiently strong nor united to launch such a campaign against a large and strongly defended world. The invasion of Tarsis Major had been a costly failure, while the Catechism's invasion of Alphe, while progressing well, proved that even the Catechism could not quickly overwhelm an agri-world, let alone a larger, more populous system.

The various factions within the Chaos ranks did not help their cause either. Each factions aims had been different and pointing in alternate directions. In 11.009M422 however, their aims converged, and with the arrival of the fleets of Thok, Shaidar Haran and Lord Traegen in the Deeps, the forces of Chaos finally had the means and the motive to conduct the invasion of Farport, with a little help...

Despite being stronger in the sector than they had been for many years, the forces of Chaos, including factions such as the Catechism, Night Lords, Claws of Lorek and the Anticross, still lacked, alone, the forces sufficient to quickly overwhelm a large defended Imperial world. The Imperium were content with this analysis, and although they planned a vigorous defence of the planet once the invasion had begun, they were unaware that mercenary Ork forces and a Kabal of Dark Eldar had agreed to lend their support to the Chaos plan.

On 2011.009M42 Imperial intelligence, astropaths and even the Imperial Tarot indicated the invasion was imminent, and General Gault was given overall command of the various forces on Farport, while Admiral Jellicoe set out, aided by the Adeptus Mechanicus fleet with a force of the Imperial Navy's finest warships. Only time would tell however, if they would arrive in time. The fleet could not have stayed in the Farport system awaiting the invasion, else allow the enemies of the Imperium a free hand while they waited for the Chaos attack. And so the scene was set for the battle for Farport.